Mystery

• Young Readers
• Middle Readers
• Older Readers

Young Readers

The ABC Mystery by Doug Cushman Come along for a charming trip through the alphabet with a very dogged detective on the trail of one sneaky thief.

The Case of the Missing Goldfish by Robin Koontz When Mrs. Bumblebear discovers her son’s goldfish is missing, she calls Furlock and Muttson to the scene. Can they follow the clues and solve the case of the missing goldfish?

Detective Dinosaur by James Skofield Detective Dinosaur and Officer Pterodactyl are challenged to solve three cases when a hat is missing, a shoe squeaks, and a loud clanging comes from a dark alley at night. (Detective Dinosaur Series, Book 1)

Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House by Doug Cushman “Daily Tombs” newspaper reporter Dirk Bones, who also happens to be a skeleton, investigates when a family of ghosts fears that they are being haunted. (Dirk Bones Mystery Series, Book 1)

Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery by Ellen Stoll Walsh Two mice try to figure out how a little acorn turns into a huge oak tree. (Dot & Jabber Mystery Series, Book 1)

Inspector Hopper by Doug Cushman Inspector Hopper and his perpetually hungry assistant McBugg solve three mysteries for their insect friends. (Inspector Hopper Series, Book 1)

The Mystery by Maxwell Eaton Max and his best friend Pinky the pig decide to paint the barn, but when it turns up repainted the next morning, they must find out what happened.

Nate The Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat Nate the Great solves the mystery of the missing picture. (Nate the Great Mystery Series, Book 1)

What Really Happened to Humpty?: From the Files of a Hard-boiled Detective by Jeanie Franz Ransom Detective Joe Dumpty rushes to investigate the mysterious circumstances under which his older brother, Humpty, fell from a wall on his first day as captain of the new Neighborhood Watch Program.

Young Cam Jansen and the Dinosaur Game by David Adler When fifth-grader Cam Jansen and her friend Eric go to a birthday party, she uses her photographic memory to solve the puzzle of the dinosaur count. (Young Cam Jansen Series, Book 1)

Middle Readers

The Absent Author by Ron Roy Dink Duncan and his two friends investigate the apparent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis Wallace. (A to Z Mysteries, Book 1)

Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire.

Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O'Malley When something lands on one of the moons of the planet Jurassica, Captain Raptor and his spaceship crew go to investigate. (Captain Raptor Series, Book 1)

The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler While searching for his mysteriously lost human family, Buddy the dog is adopted by another family and helps solve the mystery of their missing boy. (The Buddy Files Series, Book 1)

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko by Bruce Hale When hired by a fellow fourth-grader to find her missing brother, Chet Gecko uncovers a plot involving a Gila monster’s revenge upon the school football team. (Chet Gecko Mystery Series, Book 1)

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald Sobol Whenever 10-year-old Leroy (nicknamed "Encyclopedia") Brown's father, the chief of police in Idaville, has a difficult case, Encyclopedia always manages to solve it at the dinner table. So, he decides to open his own detective agency. (Encyclopedia Brown Mystery Series, Book 1)

Judy Moody, Girl Detective by Megan McDonald When a puppy who is being trained as a police dog goes missing, third-grader Judy forms a detective agency to solve the mystery, imitating her literary heroine, Nancy Drew. (Judy Moody Series, Book 9)

Whales On Stilts by M.T. Anderson Racing against the clock, shy middle-school student Lily and her best friends, Katie and Jasper, must foil the plot of her father’s conniving boss to conquer the world using an army of whales. (M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales Series, Book 1)

Older Readers

The 100-Year-Old Secret by Tracy Barrett Xena and Xander Holmes, an American brother and sister living in London for a year, discover that Sherlock Holmes was their great-great-great grandfather when they are inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives and given his unsolved casebook, from which they attempt to solve the case of a famous missing painting. (The Sherlock Files, Book 1)

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley Orphans Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with an eccentric grandmother whom they have always believed to be dead. (Sisters Grimm Series, Book 1)

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg Having runaway with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of art, twelve-year-old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home and to become a changed person and heroine to herself.

Girl's Best Friend: A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery by Leslie Margolis In Brooklyn, New York, twelve-year-old dog-walker Maggie, aided by her twin brother Finn and best friend Lucy, investigates someone she believes is stealing pets.

Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer Twelve-year-old private investigator Fletcher Moon, nicknamed “Half Moon” because of his shortness, must track down a conspiracy or be framed for a crime he did not commit.

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family’s power was hidden around the world, in the form of 39 Clues? What if you were given a choice –take a million dollars and walk away…or get the first Clue? If you’re Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue –and begin a very dangerous race. (The 39 Clues Series, Book 1)

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. (The Mysterious Benedict Society Series, Book 1)

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen Thirteen-year-old Sammy’s penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the “seedy” hotel across the street from the seniors’ building where she is living with her grandmother. (Sammy Keyes Mystery Series, Book 1)

Trial By Journal by Kate Klise In this illustrated novel told through journal entries, news clippings, and letters, twelve-year-old Lily finds herself on the jury of a murder trial while conducting her own undercover investigation of the case.

This is just a sample of some of the great books in our collection. Ask a librarian for more suggestions!
Interested in reading one of these books? Call or visit your favorite library and ask for it! You can also check the Library Catalog.